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calander boy
may Featured rider:Ross Johnson
How old are you?
I am 44.
Are you married?
No I am engaged to Maureen.
Where are you from?
I am from Woodall Spar in Lincolnshire.
Where did you go to school?
Gartry, Tattersall.
What do you do for a living?
Now, I am a mechanic and a retained Fire Fighter.
Do you have any children?
I have two step-kids. Tony and Katie.
What is your favourite colour?
Blue.
Who are your heroes?
Joey Dunlop, Bruce Lee and there a lot of lads on the roads that I admire.
What is your favourite food?
I like all food but I do like a roast and Chinese.
What music do you like?
All sorts really, if you want to get down to the nitty gritty Rock and Roll.
What bike do you ride?
Honda CBR 600 RR and a Honda RVF 400
When did you start racing?
I started in 1997 at Mallory Park..
What inspired you to start racing?
I have always had road bikes. We used to go over to the Isle of Man to watch the TT. I just wanted to do the course. I joined Bemsee and Derby Phoenix to my national racing licence, and then went on from there.
Which is your favourite race track?
My favourite track is the Isle of Man
What clubs do you race with?
I race with Auto 66, Bemsee, Darlymore, Derby Phoenix and Pegasus..
How did you meet John??
I met him at Cadwell Park. We parked next to each other in the paddock and got talking in the pits. I also take my engines to Dave Stephenson. .
Who’s the biggest influence in your racing??
Most of the top lads who you meet at the meetings and you see racing on the roads today. Joey Dunlop being the biggest one but some of the privateers you see on the roads I guess.
What is your worst moment in racing?
My worst moment was coming off in the first year at the Manx GP on the last practice session on the Saturday. I came off at Brandywell and disappeared down the embankment. I had to re-build the bike for Monday to take part in the Newcomers race. .
What is your best moment in racing?
Any race I take part in on the Isle of Man. That would probably be when I came 5th in the Manx GP. I did really well that year. I won the Pegasus Formula 400 Championship in 2001. That felt pretty good too because I had always finished 2nd in four different championships. To get a first makes all the difference. (Always the bridesmaid and finally the bride eh?)
(No need to ask if you would consider doing the Iom Manx GP then!)
If you could change one thing in your life, what would that be??
I would have started in this game earlier. When I was younger I didn’t have the finance, and now I have, I am too old and slow! .
Well, thank you for giving us an interview. John Batty Racing would like to wish you and your family well for the future. We hope to see you around the race circuits in 2007.
.
Interview by Max.
Pictures by Roger the Photographer
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